Coin-freed mechanism



Oct. 1929- L. c. BRADLEY COIN FREED MECHANISM Filed March 18. 1926 mjn r w a $4? WW6 m Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFIQE LESLIE CLIFFORD BRADLEY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IO W. 86 T. AVERY, LIMITED, OE BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND COIN-ERRED MECHANISM Application filed March 18, 1826, Serial No. 95,742, and in. Great Britain March 21, 1325.

Thisinvention has reference to improvements in coin freed mechanism for use with indicating" or observation apparatus, and is particularly applicable for use with coin freed weighing apparatus wherein the weight indication is visible through an aperture or window in the scale housing.

The invention has for its object the provision of a coin freed mechanism which is en- 101 tirely independent of the operative members or parts of the apparatus and which is simple in construction and can be readily added to existing forms of apparatus.

The invention consists of an improved coin freed mechanism of the kind hereinb-efore referred to wherein the coin bucket is.

mounted on one end of a counter balanced lever having connexion with a timed dashpot and a shutter mounted on a rotatable counterbalanced arm operating in conjunction with the lever said shutter being adapted to be displaced from the observation window on the reception of a coin in the coin bucket, the shutter and lever being rotatable about a com-mon spindle carried by a casing adapted for attachment to-the housing containingthe weighing mechanism. The invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the coin freed mechanism. Figure 2 is a vertical section on the l'in 2'2 Figure 1, looking in. the direction of the arrow, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary viewillustrating the mechanism applied to a weighing apparatus of known construction.

The weighing apparatus, with which the coin freed mechanism constituting the present invention is embodied, is of that type wherein the weight graduations are marked on a dial 4 which is rotatable to an extent determined by the load, the graduations registering with a fixed index 5 carried by a member of the scale mechanism or by the casing 8 within which the coin freed mechanism to be described is contained. 1

This casing 8 is adapted to be secured to the front of the portion of the housing of the weighing apparatus that contains the indicating mechanism so that a window 8 formed in the said casing registers with the portionof the dial 4 in register with the fixed index 5 whereby the weight indications can be observed through the window 8. The casing 8 is provided with a coin chute 9 which directs acoin inserted in the slot 8 in the front of the said easing into a coin bucket 10 mounted on one end of a lever 11 the central boss 11 whereof is pivoted on a spindle 12 secured to the centre of the casing 8 said spindle being co-axial with the spindle (not shown) upon which the rotatable dial 4 is mounted. The other end of the lever 11 is provided with a weight 13 which substan tially' counterbalances the weight of the bucket 10 the said lever 11 in its normal position being slightly inclined to the horizontal. The arm of the lever 11 carrying the coin bucket 10 has connexion with the piston rod 14 of a multi-speed dashpot 15 the dashpot' being of the kind described in the specification of British Letters Patent No. 24455.0 dated. 10th October, 1924, granted to me in conjunction with Messrs. WV. 8: T.

Avery Limited and in which type of dashpiot an initial rapid movement 1s followed by a succeeding slower movement. Secured to the central boss 11 of the Sc lever 11 is an arm 16 having at the upper end thereof a shutter 17 adapted when the weighing mechanism is at rest to cover or obscure the window 8 through which the weight indications are observed the shutter being shown in its position of rest in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in Figure 3 in the position it occupies during the operation of the weighing mechanism. The boss 11 is also" provided with an arm 16 in line with the arm 16' said arm 16 having mounted on the lower end thereof a weight 18 for counterbalancing the shutter 16. the weight '18 being substantially a counter part of the shutter 17 and being provided with an adjustable weight 18' for purpose of adjustment. Also secured to the boss 11" is a rod 19 the other end whereof has connexion with the arm 20 of a counting mechanism. The coins, when released from the coin bucket 10,, are ejected 19% into a coin chute 22 which communicates with a receptacle for the coins. Adjacent the lower end of the receptacle 22 is disposed a stop 23 which serves to limit the motion of the shutters when in the position of rest.

The operation of the device is as follows Subsequent to the insertion of the coin in the slot 8 the said coin traverses the chute 9 and is directed thereby into the coin bucket 10 whereupon the weight of the coin overbalances the weight 13 on the other arm of the bucket lever 11 and the bucket 10 moves downwardly. This downward motion of the bucket 10 removes the shutter 17 from the window 8 and permits of the weight indication being observed therethrough and since the initial. motion permit-ted by the multispeed dashpot l" is rapid the shutter 17 is speedily removed from the window 8 the succeeding period resulting from the slower motion obtained by the dashpot control be ing sutticientto allow the indicated weight to be observed. Upon the release ot'the coin 23 into the receptacle in the usual manner the bucket lever 10 tends to return to its normal position under the influence of the counterbalance weight 13 on the other arm hereof. Since, however, the initial motion permitted by the multi-speed dashpot on the recovery is slow ample time isprovided for observing the indication, and upon the slow period of recovery having been completed the subsequent motion of the multispeed dashpot 15 is rapid and eitects the remaining movement of the shutter to obscure again the window 8.

It will be appreciated that the mechanism hercinbetore described has no connexion with any of the weighing mechanism of the scale and hence admits of the utmost accuracy of indication being obtained from weighing apparatus of the aforesaid kind, and further, by reason of the whole of the mechanism being mounted in its own independent casin the mechanism can be applied to existing torms ot' weighing apparatus without necessitating any material alteration thereto.

I claim p 1. A coin treed mechanism tor use with indicating or observation mechanism comprising a casing adapted for attachment to the indicating or observation mechanism, a window formed in said casing, a counterbalanced lever pivotally mounted relatively to said casing, a coin bucket mounted on one end of said lever, a multi-speed dashpot in connection with said lever in which dashpot the piston is permitted a rapid movement for the initial portion of its stroke and a succeeding slower movement for the remainder of its stroke, a counterbalanced arm rotatable about the same axis as the counterbalanced lever and fixed relatively to the said lever whereby the lever and arm move together, a shutter mounted on said arm and normally adapted to obscure said window the initial movement of the said shutter being controlled by the multi-speed dashpot so that subsequent to the insertion of a coin the shutter is rapidly moved from the window and partakes of a slower succeeding movement which results in the window being completely uncovered for a sufficient period of time to allow of the complete observation of the objective and means for deflecting a coin into the coin bucket and for directing the subsequently ejected coin into the coin receiving receptacle.

2. A coin freed apparatus for use with indicating or observation apparatus comprising a casing adapted for attachment to the indicating or observation mechanism and in substitution of or in addition to the front casing of the indicating or observation ap'- paratus normally provided for the indication or observation mechanism, a window formed in said casing, a spindle disposed at the centre of said casing, a counterbalanced lever rotatably mounted on said spindle, a coin bucket disposed on one end of said lever, a counterwei ht adjustably mounted on the other arm of said lever, a multi-speed dashpot connected with an arm of said lever in which dashpot the piston is permitted a rapid movement for the initial portion of its stroke and a succeeding slower movement for the remainder out its stroke, a counterbalanced arm rotatably mountd relative to said spindle and fixed relatively to the said lever whereby the lever and arm move together, a shutter mounted on one end of said arm and normally adapted to obscure said window the motion of said shutter-being governed by the multispeed dashpot so that subsequent to the insertion of a coin the shutter is rapidly removed from the window the succeeding slower motion of the shutter permitting the window to be totally uncovered for a period of time sufficient to permit of the complete observation of the objective, a stop for limit-- ing the motion of said shutter and means tor deflecting a coin into the coin bucket and for directing the ejected coin into the coin re-' ceiving receptacle. 7 i

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LESLIE CLIFFORD BRADLEY. 

